The Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department at the College of Pharmacy at the University of Basrah organized a panel discussion entitled (Sugar substitutes (natural sweeteners), benefits and harms) with the participation of researchers and specialists.
The panel discussion included a lecture given by Assistant Professor Dr. Hoda Saleh Abboud, in which she indicated that sugar is not bad in nature, in fact, it is necessary because our bodies work on sugar, and the body processes carbohydrates from food and converts many of them into glucose (sugar), and cells withdraw glucose from the bloodstream and use it for fuel and energy.
  Removing natural sources of sugar and other carbohydrates from our diet - fruits, dairy products and grains - is not a healthy option. But we can make decisions about the source of sweetness in our food. Table sugar is an essential component of the human diet and its excess can lead to an unhealthy effect on the body, most notably diabetes mellitus. So sugar substitutes were introduced as safer alternatives that are now being used by millions of people all over the world without knowing about their harmful effects on the body. Therefore, the types of these alternatives, both industrial and natural, and their health benefits and harms to humans, were presented based on the results of research that studied and investigated the benefits and harms of these alternatives, and thus everyone benefits and does not fall into confusion when choosing the appropriate alternative for them.